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The Atlanta Falcons continue to tumble. A fifth straight loss – this time as time expires in London – to the Detroit Lions has open the door even wider about questions regarding an offense that looked like world beaters in the first half of the contest.

The second half was a totally different story.

Even with the issues and the losing streak that started after a 56-14 win over Tampa Bay, Falcons head coach Mike Smith is still not concerned with his job or job security.

Smith was asked Monday if he has any concerns about job security, with his team on a five-game losing streak.

"No," Smith said. "None whatsoever. We're going to do what we've done for the last six-plus years and prepare each and every week like we know how to do it. And I'm going to continue to do that until Mr. Blank tells me otherwise.''

Team owner Arthur Blank recently told ESPN.com he had confidence in both Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff to guide a turnaround and said he would wait to see how the season plays out before evaluating changes. But Blank was noticeably frustrated after Sunday's loss in London, telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "There's no way you lose that game -- just no way. There's nothing else I can say."

Smith was asked if he felt a little more pressure based on Blank's public comments about the loss.

"I talk to Mr. Blank after every game and I think that those conversations do stay private,'' Smith said. "And I do agree with him. When you're up 21-0 at halftime, you should not lose that football game.''

Two seasons ago, Smith guided the Falcons to a 13-3 record and a NFC title game appearance. But in the past 24 games, the Falcons are 6-18.

Last season, injuries decimated the franchise, especially at wide receiver and on the offensive line. The Falcons have had to make many changes on the line again this season, including changes at tackle and the use of three centers so far this year.

The offensive line looked impressive against one of the NFL’s better and most improved defenses.

Here is what we learned from this weekend according to the team’s website.

• Wide Receiver Roddy White broke Terance Mathis’ (57) franchise record for career touchdown receptions with a four-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. White has caught 58 career touchdowns since being drafted by Atlanta in 2005. He also owns franchise records for receptions (713), receiving yards (9,789), 100-yard receiving games (38), and 10-catch games (11).
• White ranks second in team history with 58 total touchdowns, trailing RB Michael Turner who scored 61 times (60 rushing & one receiving) in five seasons with the Falcons. White converted the Falcons first third-down of the game on a 15-yard reception. The play was his 149th first down catch on third down since 2008. White has been the among the most reliable targets in crucial situations as no player in the NFL has posted more first down receptions on third down during that span.
• White finished the game with nine receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown. He logged his first 100-yard game of the season and his first since posting 141 yards on 12 catches at San Francisco in Week 16 of 2013. White improved his franchise record for 100-yard games to 38 with his performance on Sunday.
• In his last two games against the Ravens, White has tallied 19 catches 238 yards and three touchdowns, including a 33-yard game winning score at the Georgia Dome in 2010.
• Quarterback Matt Ryan completed 29 of 44 passes for 228 yards with one touchdown and an 86.2 passer rating. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 12 straight games dating back to 2013.
• Cornerback Robert Alford recorded his first interception of the season, picking off Ravens quarterback  Joe Flacco in the end zone and preventing the Ravens from scoring.
• Alford picked off Flacco in the end zone a second time in the second half. The second-year player out of Southeastern Louisiana is the first Falcon to post multiple interceptions in a game since safety William Moore picked off Saints quarterback Drew Brees twice on November 29, 2012. Sunday marked the 63rd time in franchise history that a Falcons player has recorded two-or-more interceptions in a game.
• Three of Alford’s four interceptions have come in the end zone as he also picked off Panthers QB Cam Newton for a touchback in 2013 (11/3/13). Alford has posted 66 tackles (51 solo) with four interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 18 passes defensed in his career.
• Linebacker Paul Worrilow notched his first sack of the season, dragging down Flacco on a third-down play in the second quarter. Worrilow has posted three sacks in his career, including two in 2013. He was Atlanta’s leading tackler as a rookie last season, posting 137 tackles (92 solo). Worrilow joined Tommy Nobis (1966), Buddy Curry (1980), and Rick Bryan (1984) as the only rookies to lead the team in tackles and is the only undrafted rookie to lead the team in tackles.
• Worrilow finished the game with 10 tackles (three solo), one sack, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit. In his career, Worrilow has posted double-digit tackles in 11 games, including four games this season.
• Defensive End Jonathan Massaquoi had a strong game with six tackles (four solo), one tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits.
• Linebacker Joplo Bartu set a career high with 15 total tackles (six solo). He topped his previous best of 13 stops set against Tampa Bay in 2013.
• Wide Receiver Julio Jones continues to lead all wide receivers with 49 catches and ranks third in the NFL with 676 receiving yards this season. Jones pulled down five passes for 56 yards in Sunday’s game.

The Atlanta Falcons continue to tumble. A fifth straight loss – this time as time expires in London – to the Detroit Lions has open the door even wider about questions regarding an offense that looked like world beaters in the first half of the contest.

The second half was a totally different story.

Even with the issues and the losing streak that started after a 56-14 win over Tampa Bay, Falcons head coach Mike Smith is still not concerned with his job or job security.

Smith was asked Monday if he has any concerns about job security, with his team on a five-game losing streak.

"No," Smith said. "None whatsoever. We're going to do what we've done for the last six-plus years and prepare each and every week like we know how to do it. And I'm going to continue to do that until Mr. Blank tells me otherwise.''

Team owner Arthur Blank recently told ESPN.com he had confidence in both Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff to guide a turnaround and said he would wait to see how the season plays out before evaluating changes. But Blank was noticeably frustrated after Sunday's loss in London, telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "There's no way you lose that game -- just no way. There's nothing else I can say."

Smith was asked if he felt a little more pressure based on Blank's public comments about the loss.

"I talk to Mr. Blank after every game and I think that those conversations do stay private,'' Smith said. "And I do agree with him. When you're up 21-0 at halftime, you should not lose that football game.''

Two seasons ago, Smith guided the Falcons to a 13-3 record and a NFC title game appearance. But in the past 24 games, the Falcons are 6-18.

Last season, injuries decimated the franchise, especially at wide receiver and on the offensive line. The Falcons have had to make many changes on the line again this season, including changes at tackle and the use of three centers so far this year.

The offensive line looked impressive against one of the NFL’s better and most improved defenses.

Here is what we learned from this weekend according to the team’s website.

• Wide Receiver Roddy White broke Terance Mathis’ (57) franchise record for career touchdown receptions with a four-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. White has caught 58 career touchdowns since being drafted by Atlanta in 2005. He also owns franchise records for receptions (713), receiving yards (9,789), 100-yard receiving games (38), and 10-catch games (11).
• White ranks second in team history with 58 total touchdowns, trailing RB Michael Turner who scored 61 times (60 rushing & one receiving) in five seasons with the Falcons. White converted the Falcons first third-down of the game on a 15-yard reception. The play was his 149th first down catch on third down since 2008. White has been the among the most reliable targets in crucial situations as no player in the NFL has posted more first down receptions on third down during that span.
• White finished the game with nine receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown. He logged his first 100-yard game of the season and his first since posting 141 yards on 12 catches at San Francisco in Week 16 of 2013. White improved his franchise record for 100-yard games to 38 with his performance on Sunday.
• In his last two games against the Ravens, White has tallied 19 catches 238 yards and three touchdowns, including a 33-yard game winning score at the Georgia Dome in 2010.
• Quarterback Matt Ryan completed 29 of 44 passes for 228 yards with one touchdown and an 86.2 passer rating. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 12 straight games dating back to 2013.
• Cornerback Robert Alford recorded his first interception of the season, picking off Ravens quarterback  Joe Flacco in the end zone and preventing the Ravens from scoring.
• Alford picked off Flacco in the end zone a second time in the second half. The second-year player out of Southeastern Louisiana is the first Falcon to post multiple interceptions in a game since safety William Moore picked off Saints quarterback Drew Brees twice on November 29, 2012. Sunday marked the 63rd time in franchise history that a Falcons player has recorded two-or-more interceptions in a game.
• Three of Alford’s four interceptions have come in the end zone as he also picked off Panthers QB Cam Newton for a touchback in 2013 (11/3/13). Alford has posted 66 tackles (51 solo) with four interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 18 passes defensed in his career.
• Linebacker Paul Worrilow notched his first sack of the season, dragging down Flacco on a third-down play in the second quarter. Worrilow has posted three sacks in his career, including two in 2013. He was Atlanta’s leading tackler as a rookie last season, posting 137 tackles (92 solo). Worrilow joined Tommy Nobis (1966), Buddy Curry (1980), and Rick Bryan (1984) as the only rookies to lead the team in tackles and is the only undrafted rookie to lead the team in tackles.
• Worrilow finished the game with 10 tackles (three solo), one sack, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit. In his career, Worrilow has posted double-digit tackles in 11 games, including four games this season.
• Defensive End Jonathan Massaquoi had a strong game with six tackles (four solo), one tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits.
• Linebacker Joplo Bartu set a career high with 15 total tackles (six solo). He topped his previous best of 13 stops set against Tampa Bay in 2013.
• Wide Receiver Julio Jones continues to lead all wide receivers with 49 catches and ranks third in the NFL with 676 receiving yards this season. Jones pulled down five passes for 56 yards in Sunday’s game.

In each of the last 2 seasons it has happened, The Baltimore Ravens went from champion to 8-8 and the season before The New York Giants went from beating New England to failing to make the postseason with a 9-7 record.  This season is shaping up for Seattle to follow suit.

Let's take a look at the remaining 10 weeks and analyze what games will make or break Seattle's season.

Six teams make the play-offs in each conference, the winner of each of the four divisions and the two best remaining records get in as Wild Cards.  Seattle has to win their division or be one of the best 2 remaining teams.

There are 11 teams that realistically could make the play-offs in the NFC

• Dallas
• Philadelphia
• Green Bay
• Detroit
• Chicago
• New Orleans
• Carolina
• Atlanta
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Arizona

Before we get too far into this, let's take a look at the play-off seeding if the season ended today.

#1 Dallas Cowboys (6-1)

#2 Arizona Cardinals (5-1)

#3 Detroit Lions (5-2)

#4 Carolina Panthers (3-3-1)

#5 Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)

#6 Green Bay Packers (5-2)

Currently San Francisco is 4-3 and Seattle sits at 3-3.

Now let's dissect some remaining schedules, starting with Seattle.  Here is what Seattle's remaining 10 games look like: 

Week 8: at Carolina

Week 9: Oakland

Week 10: New York Giants

Week 11: at Kansas City

Week 12: Arizona

Week 13: at San Francisco

Week 14: at Philadelphia

Week 15: San Francisco

Week 16: at Arizona

Week 17: St. Louis

They have 5 home games left, so let's assume they win those games since they are still very difficult to beat at home.  That puts them at 8 wins and 5 very tough road games.  The two 'easier' road games are against Carolina and Kansas City, and neither of those are automatic wins.  But we'll assume that the defending champions are able to win both of those games, which puts them at 10 wins.  Anything less than 10 wins and they aren't making this play-offs, and 10 wins may not guarantee that either.

So assuming that they don't trip up in those two previously mentioned away games or lose any of their remaining home games, Seattle's post season hopes will come down to three games (at San Francisco, at Philadelphia, at Arizona).  For now, let's assume they lose those three tough road games and move forward with the defending Champions finishing at 10-6.

Arizona holds a 2 game advantage on Seattle right now, so even if they went 5-5 over their last 10 games, The Cardinals would be 10-6.  Meanwhile The 49ers are getting players back on defense and should be able to win at least 4 of their 5 remaining home games (St. Louis, Washington, Seattle, San Diego, and Arizona).  Those four wins would give San Francisco 8 wins with Road games against New Orleans, New York Giants, Oakland and Seattle left.  The 49ers should win 2 if not 3 of those games, putting them at 10-6 or 11-5. 

If all three teams finished at 10-6, it would come down to tie breakers. In this scenario, all 3 of these teams split their head to head matchups, meaning that division record would decide.  That would mean that Seattle's untimely Week 7 loss in St. Louis could put them on the wrong side of that tie breaker.

We have ruled out Seattle winning their division, so now their 10-6 record needs to be be on of the best two non-division winning record, and one of their division mates already has a better record than they do in that fight for the Wild Card spots.

The NFC South will likely only field 1 play-off team because even if Carolina beats Seattle in week 8, they have 2 games against New Orleans, one at Philadelphia and one at Atlanta.  Which means that if they beat Atlanta at home and win against Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Cleveland they are looking at an 8-7-1 finish.  New Orleans could win easily win 8 to 10 games the rest of the year or only win 4 more and finish at 6-10.  Regardless of which way they finish, The Saints are either NFC South Champions or miss the play-offs.  Atlanta's best case is likely 8-8 with road games in Green Bay, Carolina, and New Orleans still on the schedule.  In short, the NFC South poses no threat to Seattle's play-off hopes.

The NFC North (Green Bay, Detroit) and NFC East (Philadelphia, Dallas) look like they have two teams that could potentially put up double digit win totals.  If Seattle isn't going to win their division, they need to leapfrog not one, but BOTH of these teams to make the play-offs. (Remember, in this scenario even at 10-6 they are behind Arizona and San Francisco in their own division).

Green Bay could lose in New Orleans this week and at home to Philadelphia and New England (not likely to lose all three, but it could happen) and still win 11 games.  The Packers have home games against Chicago, Atlanta and Detroit which should be wins as well as winnable road games against Minnesota, Buffalo and Tampa Bay.  So Even though Seattle beat Green Bay on opening night, it looks like they will finish ahead of Seattle as well.

Detroit has proven that they can hang with just about any team, but can also lose to just about any team.  Which means that they will likely got 4-0 at home (Miami, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Minnesota) and potentially steal 2 of their 5 road games (Atlanta, Arizona, New England, Chicago, Green Bay).  However, for Seattle's sake, lets say Detroit loses all five games on the road, they will finish 9-7 one game behind Seattle.

So as of right now, Seattle is clasping on to that #6 Seed with only the NFC East to go.  They will need to finish ahead of either Philadelphia or Dallas in order to make the play-offs.

Philadelphia plays three tough road games (Arizona, Green Bay and Dallas), but also have 5 very winnable games, 1 on the road (Houston) and 4 at home (Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, New York Giants).  So if Philadelphia wins those 5 games and loses their 3 tough road games, that still gets them at 10 wins with two home games unaccounted for; Seattle and Dallas.  We assumed earlier that The Eagles beat Seattle in Philadelphia, which would give Philadelphia the tie breaker on Seattle if they were to finish with the same record, but in our calculations here would be enough for an 11th win which would be enough to pass Seattle for that wild card spot should Philadelphia not win the NFC East.

Dallas currently has 6 wins and only needs 5 more to get to 11 wins (6+5=11, this is the hard hitting math you get from me).  11 Wins is more than the 10 we are projecting Seattle to have (Yes, 11 is greater than 10, but go ahead call your grade school math teacher to confirm... I'll wait).

Now that you are satisfied with my math, we will continue forward.  Except for the fact that Dallas holds the tie breaker on Seattle, so technically they only need 10 wins (4 more games). We already have Philadelphia at 11 wins without projecting either Dallas-Philadelphia game as a win, so if Dallas gets 4 wins then both teams will be ahead of Seattle.  That would mean that no matter who won the NFC East, the other would have a play-off spot in front of Seattle.  Dallas plays Jacksonville, Chicago, and New York Giants once each and Washington twice.  Those are 5 games they should win and if not they still have Philadelphia twice and home games against Arizona and Indianapolis.  Dallas should have no problems getting to 10 wins and finishing ahead of Seattle.

I took a run through all the games based on the information used above plus predicting some of the games we didn't predict (Typically in divisional games with similar talented teams, the home team won)

The Play-off picutre would look like this:

#1 Green Bay Packers (13-3)

#2 Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

#3 San Francisco 49ers (11-5)

#4 New Orleans Saints (10-6)

#5 Dallas Cowboys (12-4)

#6 Arizona Cardinals (11-5)

In order for Seattle to make the play-offs they need to go 8-2 over their last 10 games which would mean beating everyone they are supposed to beat and stealing a game on the road from Philadelphia, San Francisco or Arizona.

The season is not over for The Seahawks, and they will likely still win 10 games, unfortunately those 10 games may not be enough to have a chance to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.

In each of the last 2 seasons it has happened, The Baltimore Ravens went from champion to 8-8 and the season before The New York Giants went from beating New England to failing to make the postseason with a 9-7 record.  This season is shaping up for Seattle to follow suit.

Let's take a look at the remaining 10 weeks and analyze what games will make or break Seattle's season.

Six teams make the play-offs in each conference, the winner of each of the four divisions and the two best remaining records get in as Wild Cards.  Seattle has to win their division or be one of the best 2 remaining teams.

There are 11 teams that realistically could make the play-offs in the NFC

• Dallas
• Philadelphia
• Green Bay
• Detroit
• Chicago
• New Orleans
• Carolina
• Atlanta
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Arizona

Before we get too far into this, let's take a look at the play-off seeding if the season ended today.

#1 Dallas Cowboys (6-1)

#2 Arizona Cardinals (5-1)

#3 Detroit Lions (5-2)

#4 Carolina Panthers (3-3-1)

#5 Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)

#6 Green Bay Packers (5-2)

Currently San Francisco is 4-3 and Seattle sits at 3-3.

Now let's dissect some remaining schedules, starting with Seattle.  Here is what Seattle's remaining 10 games look like: 

Week 8: at Carolina

Week 9: Oakland

Week 10: New York Giants

Week 11: at Kansas City

Week 12: Arizona

Week 13: at San Francisco

Week 14: at Philadelphia

Week 15: San Francisco

Week 16: at Arizona

Week 17: St. Louis

They have 5 home games left, so let's assume they win those games since they are still very difficult to beat at home.  That puts them at 8 wins and 5 very tough road games.  The two 'easier' road games are against Carolina and Kansas City, and neither of those are automatic wins.  But we'll assume that the defending champions are able to win both of those games, which puts them at 10 wins.  Anything less than 10 wins and they aren't making this play-offs, and 10 wins may not guarantee that either.

So assuming that they don't trip up in those two previously mentioned away games or lose any of their remaining home games, Seattle's post season hopes will come down to three games (at San Francisco, at Philadelphia, at Arizona).  For now, let's assume they lose those three tough road games and move forward with the defending Champions finishing at 10-6.

Arizona holds a 2 game advantage on Seattle right now, so even if they went 5-5 over their last 10 games, The Cardinals would be 10-6.  Meanwhile The 49ers are getting players back on defense and should be able to win at least 4 of their 5 remaining home games (St. Louis, Washington, Seattle, San Diego, and Arizona).  Those four wins would give San Francisco 8 wins with Road games against New Orleans, New York Giants, Oakland and Seattle left.  The 49ers should win 2 if not 3 of those games, putting them at 10-6 or 11-5. 

If all three teams finished at 10-6, it would come down to tie breakers. In this scenario, all 3 of these teams split their head to head matchups, meaning that division record would decide.  That would mean that Seattle's untimely Week 7 loss in St. Louis could put them on the wrong side of that tie breaker.

We have ruled out Seattle winning their division, so now their 10-6 record needs to be be on of the best two non-division winning record, and one of their division mates already has a better record than they do in that fight for the Wild Card spots.

The NFC South will likely only field 1 play-off team because even if Carolina beats Seattle in week 8, they have 2 games against New Orleans, one at Philadelphia and one at Atlanta.  Which means that if they beat Atlanta at home and win against Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Cleveland they are looking at an 8-7-1 finish.  New Orleans could win easily win 8 to 10 games the rest of the year or only win 4 more and finish at 6-10.  Regardless of which way they finish, The Saints are either NFC South Champions or miss the play-offs.  Atlanta's best case is likely 8-8 with road games in Green Bay, Carolina, and New Orleans still on the schedule.  In short, the NFC South poses no threat to Seattle's play-off hopes.

The NFC North (Green Bay, Detroit) and NFC East (Philadelphia, Dallas) look like they have two teams that could potentially put up double digit win totals.  If Seattle isn't going to win their division, they need to leapfrog not one, but BOTH of these teams to make the play-offs. (Remember, in this scenario even at 10-6 they are behind Arizona and San Francisco in their own division).

Green Bay could lose in New Orleans this week and at home to Philadelphia and New England (not likely to lose all three, but it could happen) and still win 11 games.  The Packers have home games against Chicago, Atlanta and Detroit which should be wins as well as winnable road games against Minnesota, Buffalo and Tampa Bay.  So Even though Seattle beat Green Bay on opening night, it looks like they will finish ahead of Seattle as well.

Detroit has proven that they can hang with just about any team, but can also lose to just about any team.  Which means that they will likely got 4-0 at home (Miami, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Minnesota) and potentially steal 2 of their 5 road games (Atlanta, Arizona, New England, Chicago, Green Bay).  However, for Seattle's sake, lets say Detroit loses all five games on the road, they will finish 9-7 one game behind Seattle.

So as of right now, Seattle is clasping on to that #6 Seed with only the NFC East to go.  They will need to finish ahead of either Philadelphia or Dallas in order to make the play-offs.

Philadelphia plays three tough road games (Arizona, Green Bay and Dallas), but also have 5 very winnable games, 1 on the road (Houston) and 4 at home (Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, New York Giants).  So if Philadelphia wins those 5 games and loses their 3 tough road games, that still gets them at 10 wins with two home games unaccounted for; Seattle and Dallas.  We assumed earlier that The Eagles beat Seattle in Philadelphia, which would give Philadelphia the tie breaker on Seattle if they were to finish with the same record, but in our calculations here would be enough for an 11th win which would be enough to pass Seattle for that wild card spot should Philadelphia not win the NFC East.

Dallas currently has 6 wins and only needs 5 more to get to 11 wins (6+5=11, this is the hard hitting math you get from me).  11 Wins is more than the 10 we are projecting Seattle to have (Yes, 11 is greater than 10, but go ahead call your grade school math teacher to confirm... I'll wait).

Now that you are satisfied with my math, we will continue forward.  Except for the fact that Dallas holds the tie breaker on Seattle, so technically they only need 10 wins (4 more games). We already have Philadelphia at 11 wins without projecting either Dallas-Philadelphia game as a win, so if Dallas gets 4 wins then both teams will be ahead of Seattle.  That would mean that no matter who won the NFC East, the other would have a play-off spot in front of Seattle.  Dallas plays Jacksonville, Chicago, and New York Giants once each and Washington twice.  Those are 5 games they should win and if not they still have Philadelphia twice and home games against Arizona and Indianapolis.  Dallas should have no problems getting to 10 wins and finishing ahead of Seattle.

I took a run through all the games based on the information used above plus predicting some of the games we didn't predict (Typically in divisional games with similar talented teams, the home team won)

The Play-off picutre would look like this:

#1 Green Bay Packers (13-3)

#2 Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

#3 San Francisco 49ers (11-5)

#4 New Orleans Saints (10-6)

#5 Dallas Cowboys (12-4)

#6 Arizona Cardinals (11-5)

In order for Seattle to make the play-offs they need to go 8-2 over their last 10 games which would mean beating everyone they are supposed to beat and stealing a game on the road from Philadelphia, San Francisco or Arizona.

The season is not over for The Seahawks, and they will likely still win 10 games, unfortunately those 10 games may not be enough to have a chance to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.

In each of the last 2 seasons it has happened, The Baltimore Ravens went from champion to 8-8 and the season before The New York Giants went from beating New England to failing to make the postseason with a 9-7 record.  This season is shaping up for Seattle to follow suit.

Let's take a look at the remaining 10 weeks and analyze what games will make or break Seattle's season.

Six teams make the play-offs in each conference, the winner of each of the four divisions and the two best remaining records get in as Wild Cards.  Seattle has to win their division or be one of the best 2 remaining teams.

There are 11 teams that realistically could make the play-offs in the NFC

• Dallas
• Philadelphia
• Green Bay
• Detroit
• Chicago
• New Orleans
• Carolina
• Atlanta
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Arizona

Before we get too far into this, let's take a look at the play-off seeding if the season ended today.

#1 Dallas Cowboys (6-1)

#2 Arizona Cardinals (5-1)

#3 Detroit Lions (5-2)

#4 Carolina Panthers (3-3-1)

#5 Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)

#6 Green Bay Packers (5-2)

Currently San Francisco is 4-3 and Seattle sits at 3-3.

Now let's dissect some remaining schedules, starting with Seattle.  Here is what Seattle's remaining 10 games look like: 

Week 8: at Carolina

Week 9: Oakland

Week 10: New York Giants

Week 11: at Kansas City

Week 12: Arizona

Week 13: at San Francisco

Week 14: at Philadelphia

Week 15: San Francisco

Week 16: at Arizona

Week 17: St. Louis

They have 5 home games left, so let's assume they win those games since they are still very difficult to beat at home.  That puts them at 8 wins and 5 very tough road games.  The two 'easier' road games are against Carolina and Kansas City, and neither of those are automatic wins.  But we'll assume that the defending champions are able to win both of those games, which puts them at 10 wins.  Anything less than 10 wins and they aren't making this play-offs, and 10 wins may not guarantee that either.

So assuming that they don't trip up in those two previously mentioned away games or lose any of their remaining home games, Seattle's post season hopes will come down to three games (at San Francisco, at Philadelphia, at Arizona).  For now, let's assume they lose those three tough road games and move forward with the defending Champions finishing at 10-6.

Arizona holds a 2 game advantage on Seattle right now, so even if they went 5-5 over their last 10 games, The Cardinals would be 10-6.  Meanwhile The 49ers are getting players back on defense and should be able to win at least 4 of their 5 remaining home games (St. Louis, Washington, Seattle, San Diego, and Arizona).  Those four wins would give San Francisco 8 wins with Road games against New Orleans, New York Giants, Oakland and Seattle left.  The 49ers should win 2 if not 3 of those games, putting them at 10-6 or 11-5. 

If all three teams finished at 10-6, it would come down to tie breakers. In this scenario, all 3 of these teams split their head to head matchups, meaning that division record would decide.  That would mean that Seattle's untimely Week 7 loss in St. Louis could put them on the wrong side of that tie breaker.

We have ruled out Seattle winning their division, so now their 10-6 record needs to be be on of the best two non-division winning record, and one of their division mates already has a better record than they do in that fight for the Wild Card spots.

The NFC South will likely only field 1 play-off team because even if Carolina beats Seattle in week 8, they have 2 games against New Orleans, one at Philadelphia and one at Atlanta.  Which means that if they beat Atlanta at home and win against Minnesota, Tampa Bay and Cleveland they are looking at an 8-7-1 finish.  New Orleans could win easily win 8 to 10 games the rest of the year or only win 4 more and finish at 6-10.  Regardless of which way they finish, The Saints are either NFC South Champions or miss the play-offs.  Atlanta's best case is likely 8-8 with road games in Green Bay, Carolina, and New Orleans still on the schedule.  In short, the NFC South poses no threat to Seattle's play-off hopes.

The NFC North (Green Bay, Detroit) and NFC East (Philadelphia, Dallas) look like they have two teams that could potentially put up double digit win totals.  If Seattle isn't going to win their division, they need to leapfrog not one, but BOTH of these teams to make the play-offs. (Remember, in this scenario even at 10-6 they are behind Arizona and San Francisco in their own division).

Green Bay could lose in New Orleans this week and at home to Philadelphia and New England (not likely to lose all three, but it could happen) and still win 11 games.  The Packers have home games against Chicago, Atlanta and Detroit which should be wins as well as winnable road games against Minnesota, Buffalo and Tampa Bay.  So Even though Seattle beat Green Bay on opening night, it looks like they will finish ahead of Seattle as well.

Detroit has proven that they can hang with just about any team, but can also lose to just about any team.  Which means that they will likely got 4-0 at home (Miami, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Minnesota) and potentially steal 2 of their 5 road games (Atlanta, Arizona, New England, Chicago, Green Bay).  However, for Seattle's sake, lets say Detroit loses all five games on the road, they will finish 9-7 one game behind Seattle.

So as of right now, Seattle is clasping on to that #6 Seed with only the NFC East to go.  They will need to finish ahead of either Philadelphia or Dallas in order to make the play-offs.

Philadelphia plays three tough road games (Arizona, Green Bay and Dallas), but also have 5 very winnable games, 1 on the road (Houston) and 4 at home (Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, New York Giants).  So if Philadelphia wins those 5 games and loses their 3 tough road games, that still gets them at 10 wins with two home games unaccounted for; Seattle and Dallas.  We assumed earlier that The Eagles beat Seattle in Philadelphia, which would give Philadelphia the tie breaker on Seattle if they were to finish with the same record, but in our calculations here would be enough for an 11th win which would be enough to pass Seattle for that wild card spot should Philadelphia not win the NFC East.

Dallas currently has 6 wins and only needs 5 more to get to 11 wins (6+5=11, this is the hard hitting math you get from me).  11 Wins is more than the 10 we are projecting Seattle to have (Yes, 11 is greater than 10, but go ahead call your grade school math teacher to confirm... I'll wait).

Now that you are satisfied with my math, we will continue forward.  Except for the fact that Dallas holds the tie breaker on Seattle, so technically they only need 10 wins (4 more games). We already have Philadelphia at 11 wins without projecting either Dallas-Philadelphia game as a win, so if Dallas gets 4 wins then both teams will be ahead of Seattle.  That would mean that no matter who won the NFC East, the other would have a play-off spot in front of Seattle.  Dallas plays Jacksonville, Chicago, and New York Giants once each and Washington twice.  Those are 5 games they should win and if not they still have Philadelphia twice and home games against Arizona and Indianapolis.  Dallas should have no problems getting to 10 wins and finishing ahead of Seattle.

I took a run through all the games based on the information used above plus predicting some of the games we didn't predict (Typically in divisional games with similar talented teams, the home team won)

The Play-off picutre would look like this:

#1 Green Bay Packers (13-3)

#2 Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

#3 San Francisco 49ers (11-5)

#4 New Orleans Saints (10-6)

#5 Dallas Cowboys (12-4)

#6 Arizona Cardinals (11-5)

In order for Seattle to make the play-offs they need to go 8-2 over their last 10 games which would mean beating everyone they are supposed to beat and stealing a game on the road from Philadelphia, San Francisco or Arizona.

The season is not over for The Seahawks, and they will likely still win 10 games, unfortunately those 10 games may not be enough to have a chance to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.

There’s so much happening on a week to week basis in the NFL, sometimes it’s tough to step back and look at the season as a whole instead of a weekly chaotic mess that often leaves you scrambling to overcome injuries and bye weeks.

My goal for this article is to not only talk about players trending up and down based on their weekly performances, but also to give some insights on their overall outlook for the 2014 season. Plus, I love putting photos of cheerleaders in my article for no apparent reason other than it’s fun and valuable eye candy…

Quick reminder before getting into the Quick Hits: There’s a MILLION DOLLARS going out to the 1st place finisher in Week 7.  

ONE MILLION DOLLARS. 

Click here to get in on the action.

Quarterbacks

Philip Rivers, Chargers: 3 Straight games with 3 TDs. LOVE IT

Jay Cutler, Bears: Marshall is healthy and his weapons are performing at a very high level. 

Tony Romo, Cowboys: DeMarco Murray is opening things up for the passing game and it's helping his stats in a big way. Upcoming schedule is a CAKE WALK with Giants, Redskins, Cardinals, and Jaguars all before the bye.

Cam Newton, Panthers: His ankle is healthy and he's starting to make plays with his feet again. 

Tom Brady, Patriots: He makes Brandon LaFell look like a Pro Bowler and Gronk is getting healthier by the day.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks: The passing game is struggling a bit but Wilson is still making plays with his feet to make up for lack of passing stats.

Eli Manning, Giants: Losing Victor Cruz is a MAJOR blow to their aerial attack.

Kirk Cousins, Redskins: RG3 will be the starter once healthy.

Joe Flacco, Ravens: 5 TDs in one game will boost his season stats, hopefully he'll continue to add multi-TDs per week on a regular basis.

Carson Palmer, Cardinals: Shoulder looked fine in Week 6, cross your fingers if you are rolling with Fitz or Floyd as your WR.

Brian Hoyer, Browns:   Browns rely on the rushing attack but Hoyer is a solid bye week replacement.

Austin Davis, Rams: Tough slate of games with the Seahawks, Chiefs, 49ers the next 3 weeks.

Derek Carr, Raiders: Looked good coming out of the bye week, even if they don't win, Carr will get decent garbage points.

Geno Smith, Jets: Fair to say he's the worst QB in fantasy among any starting QB or just the worst receiving corps??

Running Backs

LeSean McCoy, Eagles: Finally woke up and showed off that big play ability we knew he was capable of making. Bye Week and then locked in your lineup the rest of the year. 

Arian Foster, Texans: Stay Healthy. Stay Healthy. Stay Healthy. 

Gio Bernard, Bengals: Busting out big runs, getting into the end-zone 

Eddie Lacy, Packers: Doesn't have a tough match-up until Week 15 now only if he'll produce like we saw against the Vikings.

Alfred Morris, Redskins: Couple of easy match-ups should help turn things around for Alf.

Justin Forsett, Ravens: Likely one of the best free agent pickups of the year. 

Shane Vereen, Patriots: Will get more carries with Ridley gone for the season.

Ben Tate, Browns: Browns are a run 1st offense and he'll be their lead back barring injury.

Branden Oliver, Chargers: Will remain the sole RB in the Chargers backfield for the foreseeable future. 

Rashad Jennings, Giants: Expected back after the team's Week 8 bye.

Darren Sproles, Eagles: Sprained MCL could force him to miss one game after the bye week.

Lamar Miller, Dolphins: Will see more carries with Knowshon Moreno out for the year. 

Ronnie Hillman, Broncos: Broncos didn't run the ball more than 20 times when Ball was healthy, gave Hillman 24 carries in Week 6.

Jeremy Hill, Bengals: Bengals will use the rookie often as they focus on the rushing attack while A.J. Green is out. 

Isaiah Crowell, Browns: Terrific upcoming schedule, moved past Terrance West on the depth chart. 

Antone Smith, Falcons: Hopefully the Falcons wake up and start to give him more touches. 

Jerick McKinnon, Vikings: Pass protection issues may have cost him a real shot of completely taking over their backfield.

Zac Stacy, Rams:  Tre Mason looked like the best Rams RB in Week 6 which is BAD news for Stacy.

Bishop Sankey, Titans: The Titans are being very cautious with giving him a full workload.

Chris Johnson, Jets: Ivory not only beat him out for the starting job but has out-shined him in every aspect of the game. 

Wide Receivers:

 Jordy Nelson, Packers: Not just consistent, but consistent for 100 yards and a TD every week. 

Dez Bryant, Cowboys: Just one game this season with over 100 yards.

Brandon Marshall, Bears:  Ankle injury is a thing of the past. 

A.J. Green, Bengals: Toe injury is frustrating the Bengals and Fantasy managers

Randall Cobb, Packers: Finding the end-zone on a weekly basis is keeping Fantasy Managers happy.

Steve Smith, Ravens: 4 games with over 100 yards.

T.Y. Hilton, Colts: Not just a big play, boom or bust player. At least 5 catches in every game this year. 

Julian Edelman, Patriots: In the PPR format, Edelman is a top notch WR2.

Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers: One of two targets for Cam in the passing game results in a lot of red-zone targets and thus TDs.

Pierre Garcon, Redskins: 3 weeks in a row with less than 35 yards.

Michael Floyd, Cardinals:  Will get consistent stats as long as Carson Palmer is under center. 

Mike Wallace, Dolphins: 4 TDs in 5 games is nothing to sneeze at. 

Mohamed Sanu, Bengals: Taking advantage of the extra targets while AJ Green is out. 

Keenan Allen, Chargers: Sophomore Slump in a BIG BIG way.

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: Good trade value now after his big game in Week 6.

Rueben Randle, Giants:  Cruz is out and now Randle is Eli's main target.

Mike Evans, Bucs: Came back early from the groin injury and will be 100% after the bye week.

Odell Beckham JR: Giants  Thrown into the starting lineup with Cruz out for the year. 

Wes Welker, Broncos: 4th option in the Broncos passing attack. 

Torrey Smith, Ravens: Woke up in a big way in Week 6, hopefully keeps it going. 

Cordarrelle Patterson, Vikings: Can't get open. Possibly not healthy. Coaches calling him out to the media. NOT GOOD.

Malcom Floyd, Chargers: Big play threat for one of the league's best offenses. 

Andre Holmes, Raiders: Terrific upcoming schedule and should get tons of garbage time action.

Tight Ends 

Julius Thomas, Broncos: On pace for an INSANE 29 TDs. 

Jimmy Graham, Saints: Likely will miss at least one game with the shoulder injury.

Jordan Cameron, Browns: The number 1 weapon in the Browns passing attack.

Jordan Reed, Redskins: Looked healthy and showed off the talent in Week 6 that made in a consensus preseason Top 10 TE.

Larry Donnell, Giants: Should see some more targets with Victor Cruz out of the lineup.

Clay Harbor, Jaguars: Turning into a decent PPR option and bye week replacement. 

Timothy Wright, Patriots:  Just not getting enough targets or time on the field right now even though he's scoring TDs.

You could tell by the expression on Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley’s face he was not happy with the results on Sunday. Following a 17-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bradley was not short on words, and his sentences were succinct – losing is not a part of the team’s culture. After the fifth straight loss of this season and the eighth overall since the Jaguars celebrated a victory which was last season.

One, there definitely was improvement.

“As a team, I truly believe we’re getting better,” Bradley said Monday afternoon, a day after the Jaguars’ 17-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Field.

Bradley said he saw improvement individually, from a defense that had its best game of the season and from rookie quarterback Blake Bortles.

He also said the team’s spirit and will to improve remains strong – and he said that’s important.

At the same time …

“I also pointed out, to make something clear, that it’s not OK to lose,” Bradley said. “That’s also part of our culture. It is not OK. We set up our culture, we strive to get better, and we strive to be our best all for the very reason so that we can reach the objective of winning.

“It’s that strict. I want to make sure it’s clear to them that it’s not OK. They know it, but I think it’s a message that needs to be stressed.”

After continual double-digit losses, the nine-point loss has to be a step in the right direction. Right now, Jacksonville is one of two teams right now (Oakland) that does not have a victory this season. Fighting for the first pick in the NFL Draft was not what team general manager Dave Caldwell and Bradley had in mind for this season. Instead, there were thoughts by NFL media that this team would compete for a playoff spot. Right now, that is a pipe dream at best.

The Jaguars, after losing their first four games by a combined 152-58, trailed 10-9 early in the fourth quarter Sunday before Steelers cornerback Brice McClain intercepted Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and scored untouched on a 23-yard return.

The Jaguars held the Steelers offense to 10 points a week after allowing three long pass plays to Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in a 33-14 loss.

“I feel like we’re getting closer,” Bradley said. “Our team feels like we’re getting closer, but it feels like we’re not there yet.  That was really the message for the team. They’re in good spirits, although you can tell it stings them. They felt like we missed an opportunity and we did, but we’ll learn from it and grow and move forward.”

Bradley during his meeting with the media emphasized the play of several players Sunday, including cornerback Demetrius McCray, running back Storm Johnson, defensive end Chris Clemons, safety Johnathan Cyprien and safety Josh Evans.

The Miami Dolphins got right back to business on Monday following the team’s bye week after beating Oakland in London.

One of the things the team should be excited about heading into their game at home against the Green Packers is the fact Knowshon Moreno was back at practice this week. Wearing a brace on his left elbow, Moreno practiced for the first time since being injured in the first quarter of the Dolphins’ Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills.

“It felt good to get out there on the field and just work out a little bit of the rust and get back on the field,” Moreno said. “I’m just going to go out and practice and get back into that practice mentality and then my game mentality when it comes. Once that stuff comes, everything else will take care of itself.”

Moreno had the highest rushing total in the NFL in the first week of the regular season when he gained 134 yards in the 33-20 victory against the New England Patriots, but was injured on his first rushing attempt against Buffalo.

Head Coach Joe Philbin said he was optimistic that Moreno could return to action soon, but the free agent acquisition must prove in practice that he’s ready.

“He has to prove out here that he can run, he can catch, he can block,” Philbin said. “He’s got to do a lot of things. If he can do all those things, that’d be great. But we’ll have to see.”

The Dolphins have looked better this season with the ground game, getting solid contributions from Moreno, Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas when he has been in the lineup.

POUNCEY READY

According to the team’s website, Mike Pouncey appears on track to make his season debut this weekend against the Green Bay Packers, and he said after practice Monday he was feeling great and as happy as he has been in a while.

There is some uncertainty, however, as to where Pouncey will line up upon his return after Philbin said last week he would explore all options to get the five best offensive linemen on the field.

Pouncey has played only center since joining the Dolphins as a first-round pick in 2011 and he was selected to the Pro Bowl at that position last season, but remember that he played guard at the University of Florida before moving inside for his senior year. Pouncey said he was simply ready to make a contribution to the Dolphins offense.

“I think I’ll make a big one,” he said. “Whatever position I’m playing at, it’s going to be for the better of the team.”

PLAYERS MOVING FORWARD

With versatile defensive lineman Derrick Shelby out of action after being suspended by the Dolphins for conduct detrimental to the team, it could be up to Terrence Fede and Anthony Johnson to make up for those snaps.

The two rookies say they’re up to the challenge.

“It’s football; I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day, I put in the work every day at practice and if it’s four snaps to 20 snaps, whatever the coaches need me to do, I’ll go in and do it.

“The coaches spoke to everybody on the unit and told everybody we have to pick it up. Shelby was a guy who was quiet but he came in and played high-quality 30-plus snaps. So at the end of the day, Terrence Fede has to step up at defensive end and myself on the inside to help take some of the pressure off those older guys.”

Johnson has appeared in all four games this season, while Fede made his NFL regular season debut in the 38-14 victory against the Oakland Raiders in London two Sundays ago.

“It’s big shoes to fill in, but I’m ready for the opportunity that I have,” Fede said. “Coach told me that when you’re out there, you’ve just got to give it your all, you’ve just got to hope for the best.”

You could tell by the expression on Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley’s face he was not happy with the results on Sunday. Following a 17-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bradley was not short on words, and his sentences were succinct – losing is not a part of the team’s culture. After the fifth straight loss of this season and the eighth overall since the Jaguars celebrated a victory which was last season.

One, there definitely was improvement.

“As a team, I truly believe we’re getting better,” Bradley said Monday afternoon, a day after the Jaguars’ 17-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Field.

Bradley said he saw improvement individually, from a defense that had its best game of the season and from rookie quarterback Blake Bortles.

He also said the team’s spirit and will to improve remains strong – and he said that’s important.

At the same time …

“I also pointed out, to make something clear, that it’s not OK to lose,” Bradley said. “That’s also part of our culture. It is not OK. We set up our culture, we strive to get better, and we strive to be our best all for the very reason so that we can reach the objective of winning.

“It’s that strict. I want to make sure it’s clear to them that it’s not OK. They know it, but I think it’s a message that needs to be stressed.”

After continual double-digit losses, the nine-point loss has to be a step in the right direction. Right now, Jacksonville is one of two teams right now (Oakland) that does not have a victory this season. Fighting for the first pick in the NFL Draft was not what team general manager Dave Caldwell and Bradley had in mind for this season. Instead, there were thoughts by NFL media that this team would compete for a playoff spot. Right now, that is a pipe dream at best.

The Jaguars, after losing their first four games by a combined 152-58, trailed 10-9 early in the fourth quarter Sunday before Steelers cornerback Brice McClain intercepted Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and scored untouched on a 23-yard return.

The Jaguars held the Steelers offense to 10 points a week after allowing three long pass plays to Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in a 33-14 loss.

“I feel like we’re getting closer,” Bradley said. “Our team feels like we’re getting closer, but it feels like we’re not there yet.  That was really the message for the team. They’re in good spirits, although you can tell it stings them. They felt like we missed an opportunity and we did, but we’ll learn from it and grow and move forward.”

Bradley during his meeting with the media emphasized the play of several players Sunday, including cornerback Demetrius McCray, running back Storm Johnson, defensive end Chris Clemons, safety Johnathan Cyprien and safety Josh Evans.

The Miami Dolphins got right back to business on Monday following the team’s bye week after beating Oakland in London.

One of the things the team should be excited about heading into their game at home against the Green Packers is the fact Knowshon Moreno was back at practice this week. Wearing a brace on his left elbow, Moreno practiced for the first time since being injured in the first quarter of the Dolphins’ Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills.

“It felt good to get out there on the field and just work out a little bit of the rust and get back on the field,” Moreno said. “I’m just going to go out and practice and get back into that practice mentality and then my game mentality when it comes. Once that stuff comes, everything else will take care of itself.”

Moreno had the highest rushing total in the NFL in the first week of the regular season when he gained 134 yards in the 33-20 victory against the New England Patriots, but was injured on his first rushing attempt against Buffalo.

Head Coach Joe Philbin said he was optimistic that Moreno could return to action soon, but the free agent acquisition must prove in practice that he’s ready.

“He has to prove out here that he can run, he can catch, he can block,” Philbin said. “He’s got to do a lot of things. If he can do all those things, that’d be great. But we’ll have to see.”

The Dolphins have looked better this season with the ground game, getting solid contributions from Moreno, Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas when he has been in the lineup.

POUNCEY READY

According to the team’s website, Mike Pouncey appears on track to make his season debut this weekend against the Green Bay Packers, and he said after practice Monday he was feeling great and as happy as he has been in a while.

There is some uncertainty, however, as to where Pouncey will line up upon his return after Philbin said last week he would explore all options to get the five best offensive linemen on the field.

Pouncey has played only center since joining the Dolphins as a first-round pick in 2011 and he was selected to the Pro Bowl at that position last season, but remember that he played guard at the University of Florida before moving inside for his senior year. Pouncey said he was simply ready to make a contribution to the Dolphins offense.

“I think I’ll make a big one,” he said. “Whatever position I’m playing at, it’s going to be for the better of the team.”

PLAYERS MOVING FORWARD

With versatile defensive lineman Derrick Shelby out of action after being suspended by the Dolphins for conduct detrimental to the team, it could be up to Terrence Fede and Anthony Johnson to make up for those snaps.

The two rookies say they’re up to the challenge.

“It’s football; I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day, I put in the work every day at practice and if it’s four snaps to 20 snaps, whatever the coaches need me to do, I’ll go in and do it.

“The coaches spoke to everybody on the unit and told everybody we have to pick it up. Shelby was a guy who was quiet but he came in and played high-quality 30-plus snaps. So at the end of the day, Terrence Fede has to step up at defensive end and myself on the inside to help take some of the pressure off those older guys.”

Johnson has appeared in all four games this season, while Fede made his NFL regular season debut in the 38-14 victory against the Oakland Raiders in London two Sundays ago.

“It’s big shoes to fill in, but I’m ready for the opportunity that I have,” Fede said. “Coach told me that when you’re out there, you’ve just got to give it your all, you’ve just got to hope for the best.”

A little more than 48 hours ago, the University of Florida was celebrating its 10^th straight win over Tennessee and hailing freshman Treon Harris for leading the comeback. Since then, the freshman is no longer on the active roster, having been suspended indefinitely by the school after being charged with an alleged sexual assault while on campus early Sunday morning.

Football Nation has learned through a story on ESPN.com
, Treon Harris is under investigation after he was accused of sexually assaulting a female student on campus early Sunday morning, the school announced Monday.

The University of Florida Police Department and the Gainesville Police Department are working together to assist with the collection and analysis of forensic evidence, according to the school statement.

The Gainesville Police Department said in a statement that it wouldn't have an active role in the filing of any charges because jurisdiction lies with the UFPD.

The alleged incident took place inside a residence hall on campus, according to police. A GPD forensics crime unit truck was parked outside the residence hall Monday afternoon.

Harris has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.

Following the win over Tennessee in Knoxville where he was on the field when the Gators scored their come from behind 10 points in Knoxville, it looked as though the team had finally found its playmaker behind center. The Gator Nation and national pundits had criticized starter Jeff Driskel and his ineffectiveness all season, even with the Gators jumping out to a 3-1 record. His performance against Alabama, a 42-21 loss even had Gator great Emmitt Smith calling for his benching.

Harris is a more athletic quarterback, giving the team and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper more options. The move could have also helped save head coach Will Muschamp’s job at the school.

"We have no tolerance for sexual assault on our campus," UF president Bernie Machen said in a statement. "The university is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for every member of the UF community. We must strive to protect all of our students from sexual harassment and assault, and do everything in our power to promote a safe learning environment."

Harris will be represented by attorney Huntley Johnson.

"We are representing him and we are cooperating with the investigation," Johnson said. "I am hopeful that he will never be arrested [regarding this case]."

UPD said the incident report was still being finalized and would be released in the next day or so.

Multiple media outlets reported that the team would be told of the incident during Monday's practice.

The Florida State football program is breathing a little easier this week, knowing that five of the top eight teams in last week’s poll lost. The shakeup was great and proved the early pundits may have over compensated for schools and their past performances on the field and through recruiting. Now, the polls are new and refreshed and exciting. Two teams from Mississippi, two teams from Texas not named Texas or Texas A&M grace the current standings. While there is an Alabama on the list, Auburn is the team chasing the Garnet and Gold of Tallahassee, much like they were at the end of last season.

This time – with a better schedule to help the Seminoles out – there is a chance FSU could play better teams and win, helping their chances of repeating as national champs.

Loses by Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma and UCLA sure do help.

FSU takes on Notre Dame on Oct. 18 and Miami (Fla.) and Florida down the stretch, along with scattered tests against Louisville, Virginia and Boston College. It's merely that Florida State's slate isn't fraught with potential disaster — like Alabama's schedule, as we saw, or Oregon's docket, as is obvious.

The basics of this trip down College Football Lane is simple – win and the Seminoles are in. The SEC, Pac 12 and Big 12 will beat on each other. Notre Dame appears to be the wild card in all of this. Florida State will be favored in every game they play in for the remainder of the season, which begins when the team travels to play Syracuse on Saturday.

To view the entire, click here.

You could tell by the expression on Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley’s face he was not happy with the results on Sunday. Following a 17-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bradley was not short on words, and his sentences were succinct – losing is not a part of the team’s culture. After the fifth straight loss of this season and the eighth overall since the Jaguars celebrated a victory which was last season.

One, there definitely was improvement.

“As a team, I truly believe we’re getting better,” Bradley said Monday afternoon, a day after the Jaguars’ 17-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Field.

Bradley said he saw improvement individually, from a defense that had its best game of the season and from rookie quarterback Blake Bortles.

He also said the team’s spirit and will to improve remains strong – and he said that’s important.

At the same time …

“I also pointed out, to make something clear, that it’s not OK to lose,” Bradley said. “That’s also part of our culture. It is not OK. We set up our culture, we strive to get better, and we strive to be our best all for the very reason so that we can reach the objective of winning.

“It’s that strict. I want to make sure it’s clear to them that it’s not OK. They know it, but I think it’s a message that needs to be stressed.”

After continual double-digit losses, the nine-point loss has to be a step in the right direction. Right now, Jacksonville is one of two teams right now (Oakland) that does not have a victory this season. Fighting for the first pick in the NFL Draft was not what team general manager Dave Caldwell and Bradley had in mind for this season. Instead, there were thoughts by NFL media that this team would compete for a playoff spot. Right now, that is a pipe dream at best.

The Jaguars, after losing their first four games by a combined 152-58, trailed 10-9 early in the fourth quarter Sunday before Steelers cornerback Brice McClain intercepted Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and scored untouched on a 23-yard return.

The Jaguars held the Steelers offense to 10 points a week after allowing three long pass plays to Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in a 33-14 loss.

“I feel like we’re getting closer,” Bradley said. “Our team feels like we’re getting closer, but it feels like we’re not there yet.  That was really the message for the team. They’re in good spirits, although you can tell it stings them. They felt like we missed an opportunity and we did, but we’ll learn from it and grow and move forward.”

Bradley during his meeting with the media emphasized the play of several players Sunday, including cornerback Demetrius McCray, running back Storm Johnson, defensive end Chris Clemons, safety Johnathan Cyprien and safety Josh Evans.

The Miami Dolphins got right back to business on Monday following the team’s bye week after beating Oakland in London.

One of the things the team should be excited about heading into their game at home against the Green Packers is the fact Knowshon Moreno was back at practice this week. Wearing a brace on his left elbow, Moreno practiced for the first time since being injured in the first quarter of the Dolphins’ Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills.

“It felt good to get out there on the field and just work out a little bit of the rust and get back on the field,” Moreno said. “I’m just going to go out and practice and get back into that practice mentality and then my game mentality when it comes. Once that stuff comes, everything else will take care of itself.”

Moreno had the highest rushing total in the NFL in the first week of the regular season when he gained 134 yards in the 33-20 victory against the New England Patriots, but was injured on his first rushing attempt against Buffalo.

Head Coach Joe Philbin said he was optimistic that Moreno could return to action soon, but the free agent acquisition must prove in practice that he’s ready.

“He has to prove out here that he can run, he can catch, he can block,” Philbin said. “He’s got to do a lot of things. If he can do all those things, that’d be great. But we’ll have to see.”

The Dolphins have looked better this season with the ground game, getting solid contributions from Moreno, Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas when he has been in the lineup.

POUNCEY READY

According to the team’s website, Mike Pouncey appears on track to make his season debut this weekend against the Green Bay Packers, and he said after practice Monday he was feeling great and as happy as he has been in a while.

There is some uncertainty, however, as to where Pouncey will line up upon his return after Philbin said last week he would explore all options to get the five best offensive linemen on the field.

Pouncey has played only center since joining the Dolphins as a first-round pick in 2011 and he was selected to the Pro Bowl at that position last season, but remember that he played guard at the University of Florida before moving inside for his senior year. Pouncey said he was simply ready to make a contribution to the Dolphins offense.

“I think I’ll make a big one,” he said. “Whatever position I’m playing at, it’s going to be for the better of the team.”

PLAYERS MOVING FORWARD

With versatile defensive lineman Derrick Shelby out of action after being suspended by the Dolphins for conduct detrimental to the team, it could be up to Terrence Fede and Anthony Johnson to make up for those snaps.

The two rookies say they’re up to the challenge.

“It’s football; I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day, I put in the work every day at practice and if it’s four snaps to 20 snaps, whatever the coaches need me to do, I’ll go in and do it.

“The coaches spoke to everybody on the unit and told everybody we have to pick it up. Shelby was a guy who was quiet but he came in and played high-quality 30-plus snaps. So at the end of the day, Terrence Fede has to step up at defensive end and myself on the inside to help take some of the pressure off those older guys.”

Johnson has appeared in all four games this season, while Fede made his NFL regular season debut in the 38-14 victory against the Oakland Raiders in London two Sundays ago.

“It’s big shoes to fill in, but I’m ready for the opportunity that I have,” Fede said. “Coach told me that when you’re out there, you’ve just got to give it your all, you’ve just got to hope for the best.”

A little more than 48 hours ago, the University of Florida was celebrating its 10^th straight win over Tennessee and hailing freshman Treon Harris for leading the comeback. Since then, the freshman is no longer on the active roster, having been suspended indefinitely by the school after being charged with an alleged sexual assault while on campus early Sunday morning.

Football Nation has learned through a story on ESPN.com
, Treon Harris is under investigation after he was accused of sexually assaulting a female student on campus early Sunday morning, the school announced Monday.

The University of Florida Police Department and the Gainesville Police Department are working together to assist with the collection and analysis of forensic evidence, according to the school statement.

The Gainesville Police Department said in a statement that it wouldn't have an active role in the filing of any charges because jurisdiction lies with the UFPD.

The alleged incident took place inside a residence hall on campus, according to police. A GPD forensics crime unit truck was parked outside the residence hall Monday afternoon.

Harris has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.

Following the win over Tennessee in Knoxville where he was on the field when the Gators scored their come from behind 10 points in Knoxville, it looked as though the team had finally found its playmaker behind center. The Gator Nation and national pundits had criticized starter Jeff Driskel and his ineffectiveness all season, even with the Gators jumping out to a 3-1 record. His performance against Alabama, a 42-21 loss even had Gator great Emmitt Smith calling for his benching.

Harris is a more athletic quarterback, giving the team and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper more options. The move could have also helped save head coach Will Muschamp’s job at the school.

"We have no tolerance for sexual assault on our campus," UF president Bernie Machen said in a statement. "The university is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for every member of the UF community. We must strive to protect all of our students from sexual harassment and assault, and do everything in our power to promote a safe learning environment."

Harris will be represented by attorney Huntley Johnson.

"We are representing him and we are cooperating with the investigation," Johnson said. "I am hopeful that he will never be arrested [regarding this case]."

UPD said the incident report was still being finalized and would be released in the next day or so.

Multiple media outlets reported that the team would be told of the incident during Monday's practice.

The Florida State football program is breathing a little easier this week, knowing that five of the top eight teams in last week’s poll lost. The shakeup was great and proved the early pundits may have over compensated for schools and their past performances on the field and through recruiting. Now, the polls are new and refreshed and exciting. Two teams from Mississippi, two teams from Texas not named Texas or Texas A&M grace the current standings. While there is an Alabama on the list, Auburn is the team chasing the Garnet and Gold of Tallahassee, much like they were at the end of last season.

This time – with a better schedule to help the Seminoles out – there is a chance FSU could play better teams and win, helping their chances of repeating as national champs.

Loses by Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma and UCLA sure do help.

FSU takes on Notre Dame on Oct. 18 and Miami (Fla.) and Florida down the stretch, along with scattered tests against Louisville, Virginia and Boston College. It's merely that Florida State's slate isn't fraught with potential disaster — like Alabama's schedule, as we saw, or Oregon's docket, as is obvious.

The basics of this trip down College Football Lane is simple – win and the Seminoles are in. The SEC, Pac 12 and Big 12 will beat on each other. Notre Dame appears to be the wild card in all of this. Florida State will be favored in every game they play in for the remainder of the season, which begins when the team travels to play Syracuse on Saturday.

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You could tell by the expression on Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley’s face he was not happy with the results on Sunday. Following a 17-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bradley was not short on words, and his sentences were succinct – losing is not a part of the team’s culture. After the fifth straight loss of this season and the eighth overall since the Jaguars celebrated a victory which was last season.

One, there definitely was improvement.

“As a team, I truly believe we’re getting better,” Bradley said Monday afternoon, a day after the Jaguars’ 17-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Field.

Bradley said he saw improvement individually, from a defense that had its best game of the season and from rookie quarterback Blake Bortles.

He also said the team’s spirit and will to improve remains strong – and he said that’s important.

At the same time …

“I also pointed out, to make something clear, that it’s not OK to lose,” Bradley said. “That’s also part of our culture. It is not OK. We set up our culture, we strive to get better, and we strive to be our best all for the very reason so that we can reach the objective of winning.

“It’s that strict. I want to make sure it’s clear to them that it’s not OK. They know it, but I think it’s a message that needs to be stressed.”

After continual double-digit losses, the nine-point loss has to be a step in the right direction. Right now, Jacksonville is one of two teams right now (Oakland) that does not have a victory this season. Fighting for the first pick in the NFL Draft was not what team general manager Dave Caldwell and Bradley had in mind for this season. Instead, there were thoughts by NFL media that this team would compete for a playoff spot. Right now, that is a pipe dream at best.

The Jaguars, after losing their first four games by a combined 152-58, trailed 10-9 early in the fourth quarter Sunday before Steelers cornerback Brice McClain intercepted Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and scored untouched on a 23-yard return.

The Jaguars held the Steelers offense to 10 points a week after allowing three long pass plays to Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in a 33-14 loss.

“I feel like we’re getting closer,” Bradley said. “Our team feels like we’re getting closer, but it feels like we’re not there yet.  That was really the message for the team. They’re in good spirits, although you can tell it stings them. They felt like we missed an opportunity and we did, but we’ll learn from it and grow and move forward.”

Bradley during his meeting with the media emphasized the play of several players Sunday, including cornerback Demetrius McCray, running back Storm Johnson, defensive end Chris Clemons, safety Johnathan Cyprien and safety Josh Evans.